Apparatus for determining well pipe perforations



Sept. 29, 1953 J. J. SANTIAGO 2,653,474

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WELL PIPE PERFORATIONS INVENTOR.

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; TroP/vzr Patented Sept. 29, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WELL PIPE PERFORATIONS James J. Santiago, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Grant Oil Tool Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California 2 Claims. (Cl. 'Z3-151) This invention has to do with apparatus for determining the presence and location of perforations in well pipe, i. e. casing or liners, and relates particularly to improvements and different adaptations of the type of apparatus disclosed in my Patent No. 2,416,441, issued February 25, 1947, on Determination of Well Pipe Perforations.

One of my major objects is to provide a perforation recording medium adapted to be run into the well on a wire line or cable, and actuated to take and ret-ain a record showing the presence (or absence) of perforations in a selected area of the pipe, and the relative locations of the perforations. The preferred form of recording medium is the type disclosed in my earlier application, comprising a flexible member adapted to be pressed against the pipe, and capable of forming and retaining impressions of its perforations.

The invention contemplates controlling the expansion operation of the recording medium by way of the suspension line or cable, as by upward movement of the cable, or otherwise transmitting energy through the cable, as by the passage of electrical current.

Preferably, expansion of the recording medium is effected by iiuid pressure, and specifically by application to the recording medium of pressure transmitted by way of well liquid. As will appear, space at the inside of an expansible recording medium may be accessible to well liquid, to which in turn pressure may be applied to press the medium against the perforated area of the pipe by virtue of movement of or transmission of energy through the suspension line. Development of the expansive pressure may be accomplished by utilizing the pressure or resistance of the liquid column standing in the well -pipe above the apparatus, or by generating pressure locally within the apparatus as by burning of a combustible or explosive charge.

The invention has various additional features and objects, all of which will be understood to better advantage and without necessity for further preliminary discussion, from the following detailed description of certain typical embodiments of the invention shown by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is fa general view showing the recording apparatus lowered in a perforated well pipe;

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertically continuing views showing the apparatus in enlarged cross-section with the parts positioned preparatory to expanding the recording medium;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section showing at enlarged scale the communications between the in- 2 ner section of the apparatus and the expansive capsule;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5--5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section illustrating a variational form of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, the apparatus generally indicated at Ill, is shown to be lowered within the well pipe or casing II opposite the perforations I2 whose presence and location are to be recorded. The apparatus is lowered on a wire line or cable I3 having a socket connection I4 with coupling I5, see Fig. 2, which is attached at I6 to the upper end of the mandrel or inner tubular section I1 of the apparatus. As shown in Fig. 3, section Il carries on its lower end a check valve body I8 and a shoe bushing I9. As the apparatus is lowered or raised in the well, uid bypasses the later described packer, through the check valve body, tube Il and openings 20 in the coupling I5.

The outer section of the body -comprises a tube 2I within which the inner section I'l is vertically movable, and carrying the expansive recording medium generally indicated at 22. The latter is carried on an extended sleeve 23 movable vertically relative to the tube 2I, as and for the purposes later explained. The recording means comprises an annular, fluid pressure expansible rubber capsule 24, the end portions 25 of which are received within retaining rings 26 and shaped to provide annular seal lips at 21 engageable against the sleeve 23 to prevent fluid leakage from the interior 28 of the capsule. On its inner surface, the capsule may carry one or more annular ribs 29 engageable against the sleeve 23 to internally support the capsule, the rib or ribs having circularly spaced recesses 30 assuring pressure equalization above and below the rib.

Capsule 24 carries the recording medium proper, preferably in the form of thin metallic or other sheet material capable of being deformed in accordance with the perforations I2 when expanded against the pipe, and capable also of retaining the deformation to provide a permanent record of the number and locations of the perforations. Typically the metallic recording medium is shown to be placed in thin sections 3| about the capsule and within recesses 32 in its surface. For protection against scoring or abrasion while being lowered into and out of the well, the annular recording sheet sections 3I may be given protective layers 34, preferably of thin rubber, suitably applied about the metallic sheets, either as separate thin rubber layers wrapped 4opposite the openings 5B.

thereabout or as a temporary integrated rubber coating to be stripped from the metal sheet after its recording deformation. It will be understood that the sheet material 3| and protective layer 34, will be sufliciently thin and exible as to be deformable and impressionable by internally applied uid pressure expanding them -against the perforated pipe, and causing the metallic layers to become permanently deformed v(outwardly dimpled) at the perforation locations. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the sheet metal sections 3'I may be made expansible in response to the yapplied uid pressure by wrapping the sheet about the capsule with the edges of the sheet in slidable overlapping relation at 36. Y

Nut 31 on the lower end of pipe 2| contains a packing ring 38 sealing against fluid leakage about the outside of pipe I1. A coil spring 39 is confined between nut 31 and nut 40 containing packing ring 4I sealing against fluid leakage `between pipe 2| 'and the sleeve 23. Bushing 42 threaded into the capsule retaining ring 26, is clamped by nut 40 against shoulder -43 on the sleeve 23. The upper retaining ring 26 similarly receives a threaded bushing 44 clamped against shoulder 45 by nut 45 threaded on the upper end of sleeve 23 vand containing packing ring 41 sealing against fluid leakage upwardly about the tube 2|.

A suitable packer 48 is positioned above the capsule assembly and in xed relation thereto, by a mounting permitting relative vertical movement of the body sections I1 and 2|. As illustrative, the packer maybe bonded to a sleeve 49 clamped between spacer 50 and retaining ring 5|, and nut 52 containing packing ring 53 and threaded on the upper end of tube 2|.

Referring to Fig. 4, the interior 28 of the capsule is communicable with the well fluid inside body section I1, by way of openings 54 and v55 respectively in sleeve 23 and tube 2|, clear- .tube I1, and openings 58 in the wall of tube I1.

For purposes that will later appear, tube I1 contains a Venturi tube 59, held in position as by va spotweld at 60, the lower portion 59a of the tube being annularly spaced at 6I from tube I1, The valve .body I8 contains. a rubber -ball rcheck 62 engageable against the seat 63 and displaceable, during operation of the apparatus as described below, through bore 64 into the enlarged diameter bore 65, wherein the valve assumes a position, as at 62a, permitting downward fluid by-pass through the body.

k In considering its operation, assume the apparatus to be lowered in the casing II on line I3 (with weight added to the line if necessary) to the position of Fig. 1 bringing the recording medium 22 opposite a perforated section of the casing. Tubular body section 2| and the various parts carried by it, including recording medium -22, are frictionally retained against falling downwardly from the position of Figs. 1 through 4 by engagement of packer 48 with the well pipe. Expansion of the capsule 24 -to press the recording medium against the pipe and to deform the sheet 3| into impressions vaffording a record of the perforations, is effected simply by exerting an upward pull on the Wire line I3. The resulting upward movement of the inner body section AI1 within and relative to section 2| and the parts carried thereby, causes fluid pressure to be communicated from vwithin tube I1 (check valve 62 being seated) through openings 58, 55, 54, and spaces 51 and '56, into the capsule chamber 28. The magnitude of the pressure thus communicated to the capsule may be increased' in accordance with the suddenness of the upward displacement of tube I1. Upon continued upward movement, the valve body I8 engages the lower end of nut 31, with the result that the upward pull is transmitted through spring 39 and sleeve 23 to the packer 48, whereupon further upward displacement of the inner body section is resisted by the entire uid column in the casing. The consequent fluid pressure in section I1 first assumes a magnitude that will expand the capsule against the perforated section of the casing with suflicienttightness to press and deform the recording medium into the perforations. Upon further increase of the fiuid pressure, the rubber ball check 62 is forced down through bore 64 into the enlarged space 65, thus relieving the lpressure and permitting contraction of the vcapsule by virtue of its resiliency.

As the apparatus then is withdrawn from the well, uid by-passes down through the body section I1 through openings 20, the Venturi tube 59 and the valve body I8. The fluid velocity increase resulting from the restriction within the venturi 59, is utilized to produce a suction effect tending to pull the recording medium inwardll7 from the casing Wall. Thus the Venturi created depression is ycommunicated through opening 58, and thence through the passages 56, 51 and openings 54, 55.

Fig. 6 illustrates a variational embodiment of the invention, whereby the capsule expanding fluid pressure is developed independently of the well fluid column pressure, and specically by ignition of a combustible or explosive charge within the apparatus. Below the inner section I1, to the upper end of which the explosive charge-containing 'body 10 is attached, the apparatus may have the same construction as the first described form, the rubber ball check 62 initially being positioned above its seat 63, .as before. The lbody 10 connects with the wire line socket I4 through a coupling 1I containing an inclined passage 13 ycommunicating through the counterbore 14 and body 10 with the passage 15 below. The explosive charge 16 may be of any suitable type having such burning characteristics as may be desired for most effective expansion of the capsule. Preferably the charge will have sustained burning characteristics, assuring the continuance of available pressure throughout the later described sequence of operations. Typically the charge 16 is shown to comprise a capsule 11 suitably supported in the body 10 as by means lof spider ring 18, and containing the explosive 19. A valve is used in conjunction with the passage 13 to normally maintain th'e passage in open (by-passing) condition, and to temporarily close the passage during development of the explosive charge pressure to a degree required for expansion of the capsule 24. Typically, such valve means may comprise a rubber ball check 35 through which passes the wire 8| running to the ground surface and through which electric current is supplied to detonate the charge. Normally the valve is held in the illustrated open position by engagement with an enlargement 82 on the conductor wire.

Assuming the apparatus to be lowered to recording position, explosion of the charge 16and the resulting release of valve 80, causes the latter to seat against shoulder 83, and the explosion created pressure to develop in chamber 15, since its lower end initially is closed by the bottom rubber ball check 62. The resulting pressure communicated through opening 58 to the capsule 24 expands and deforms the recording medium in the manner previously explained. The rapid increase of pressure beyond that required for expansion of the capsule, causes the valves 62 and 80 to be expelled respectively through the openings 64 and 13, with the result that the pressure in chamber 15 is relieved and the by-pass therethrough opened to permit free removal of the apparatus.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a body including relatively vertically movable tubular sections one within the other means carried at the outside of said outer section forming a chamber communicating with the interior of the inner section and having an outer wall radially expansible by pressure in the chamber, said wall including a record forming medium to be positioned opposite the perforated area of a well pipe and radially expansible by pressure in said chamber, a packer carried by said outer section above said medium,

and means for raising said inner section to communicate uid pressure from Within the inner section to said record-forming medium to expand it against the pipe, and a check valve carried by said inner section to close it against downward iluid ow therethrough during initial upward movement of the section, said valve thereafter being displaceable to open said inner section to downward uid flow during further upward movement of the section.

2. Apparatus comprising a flexible and deformable metallic record-forming medium, a support for said medium adapted to be lowered in a well pipe to bring said medium opposite a perforated area thereof, a thin rubber layer applied to the outer surface of said medium, and means operable to expand said medium and layer to transform said medium into a record of the pipe perforations in said area.

JAMES J. SANTIAGO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,416,441 Grant et al. Feb. 25, 1947 2,626,884 Ewing Jan. 27, 1953 

